Drowning a leading cause of death in Dande, Angola: results from Verbal Autopsies of deaths occurring during 2009–2012

A study describing the causes of death from a Health and Demographic Surveillance site in Dande, Angola has just been published. The data – collected using verbal autopsy – suggests that drowning is the 3rd leading cause of death in children aged 5-14, above malnutrition, and the 6th leading cause of death in children aged 1-4.

Although not nationally representative, the study provides a rare glimpse into the burden of drowning in rural areas of Africa. The WHO estimates that Africa is the continent with the highest rate of drowning, yet data on drowning in Africa is limited. Poor vital registration systems mean most drowning deaths go unrecorded. This study uses verbal autopsy to identify drowning deaths, a research method that helps determine probable causes of death in cases where there was no medical record or formal medical attention given.

Read the full article:

Rosário, Edite Vila Nova, et al. “Main causes of death in Dande, Angola: results from Verbal Autopsies of deaths occurring during 2009–2012.” BMC Public Health 16.1 (2016): 1.